Ran Blot - 
But sea-crest-Sleipnir, spray-driven, tears his breast.
Covered with red paint, out of white Ran’s mouth.
-Prose Edda, Skaldskaparamal
Very little information exists regarding Ran. In Old Norse, her name means “robber.” The Prose Edda mentions her as part of the Skaldskaparamal, listing her name as part of kennings for the sea (the sea is the husband of Ran, for example) and also tells a story of Aegir’s hall, brightly lit. Ran is in the hall, listed as Aegir’s wife and the mother of his nine daughters. The story also tells us she has a net she uses to catch everyone who goes to sea. She is mentioned in the Poetic Edda as a kenning for the sea as well, in Helgakvida Hundingsbana I and Helgavida Hiordvarssonar 18. The Reginsmal’s introductory prose mentions Ran as the owner of the net Loki borrows to gather Andvari’s hoard to use as Ottar’s ransom. Egil mentions her in one of the poems recited as part of Egil’s Saga, cursing her for taking the lives of friends who traveled by sea. From Frithiof’s Saga we find mention that she accepts gold as ransom, and during a storm at sea Frithiof urges all his fellow sailors to have gold on them before “visiting Ran’s hall,” (paraphrased, author), breaking the gold ring Ingibiorg gave to him and sharing it among the crew. Finally, in Eyrbyggia’s Saga, a crew of men are drowned offshore while fishing. They arrive to their funeral feast dripping wet, which is a happy omen meaning Ran has accepted them.
What we know of Ran, then, is that she is a goddess associated with the sea. She carries a net, accepts gold as an offering, and welcomes to her hall those who have drowned at sea. One can speculate that she must have been particularly important to a seafaring people, and regardless of the information (or lack thereof) on Ran, she was probably very much a part of the life of our ancestors. This author has further speculated upon the connection between the mention of her accepting gold as an offering and the later habit of sailors in the days of the great sailing ships who wore gold earrings. They did this because, should their bodies wash ashore, the gold would be used as money to pay for their burials. We certainly do know that even in modern times the sea is one of the world’s great killers. People are lost at sea in great numbers, and in fishing communities such as those in New England, all fishermen know they may never return every time they step onto a deck. Their partners wait at home anxiously, praying to their god/s for the safe return of their men and women. In this, the author speculates, not much has changed fundamentally from the early days of our ancestors, when a visit to Ran was a very real possibility.
Supplies Needed:
Hammer
Offering bowl (if indoors)
Drinking Horn
Oath Ring (if desired)
Gold offering (the author here uses three American “gold” Sacagawea dollar coins)
Ale (or other beverage)
A note on location:
Ran, being a sea goddess, is probably most at home in her shores. Thus, for coastal people or those who live within driving distance of a major coastline, it is an ideal thing to head to the nearest beach front and perform the blot there. This author once attended a blot to Ran held literally on the edge of the water with the tide fully out – standing in a place that would normally be underwater. For more inland dwellers, a large body of water will probably do as well. The Great Lakes in particular suffer the ravages of storms nearly as violent as those on the open ocean. As always, this should be flexible and if a person is called to perform a blot to Ran in his/her home, that is perfectly reasonable.
Hallow the Space:
Use the hallowing method of your choice. Here, a hammer rite is used.
(Raise hammer into the air)
Mjollnir, mighty weapon of the defender of Midgard,
Staunch hammer and thurs’ bane,
Hallow and hold this holy stead.
(Make the sign of the hammer in the air)
Summoning:
Call the Aesir and Vanir:
Holy ones, mighty gods and goddesses,
We call and ask your attendance at our rite.
We ask that you be here, and share with us,
That we may stand shoulder to shoulder in your company.
Hail the Aesir! Hail the Vanir! Hail the gods!
Call the Ancestors:
Hail to you, alfar and disir.
We call to make you welcome at this blot.
Those whose lives came before, stand with us now,
Share your wisdom and your strength with us.
Hail the ancestors!
Call the landvaettir:
We call to the spirits of this place.
You of flesh, and rock, those of soil, plant, air and sea,
All you who move seen and unseen, we ask you to attend this rite,
Share your protection as we honor this goddess.
Hail the landvaettir!
Invocation to Ran:
(The author uses a song she wrote to honor Ran and as a call to her. Others may use their own words, or recite what follows as a poem instead of singing. This is called: “A Call to Ran.”.)
Storm clouds form, dark.
Ran.
And the wind rises.
Ran, hear us calling,
“Ran!” as the waves break the prow.
Ice is forming.
Ran.
Screaming lines splitting.
Ran, hear us calling,
“Ran!” ocean’s horse is breaking now.
To your arms we will fall
We bring offerings for your hall
Hand wrought precious Aegir’s Fire,
For we know what you desire.
Hear us calling,
“Ran!”
Cold salt water fills our lungs.
We are dying, Ran,
In your nets our bodies hung.
Save us from the inky depths,
We would serve you in our debt.
We would sup with you at table,
Willing hands we will prove able.
Storm clouds form, dark.
Ran.
And the wind rises.
Ran, hear us calling,
“Ran!” as the waves break the prow.
Ice is forming.
Ran.
Screaming lines splitting.
Ran, we are drowning,
“Ran!” ocean’s horse has broken now.
Blot:
Pour ale into drinking horn. Hallow the drink using a specific ritual of your choice, or by simply making the hammer sign over it. At the end of each round, pour some of the ale from the horn into the offering bowl, or if desired directly into the sea.) Ale is preferred here to mead as a reference from Eyrbyggia’s Saga mentions that during the funereal feast, the “Christmas ale” was served.
Sample wording for the rounds follows. Each attendee of the blot should have an opportunity to speak to Ran via the horn being passed. Words spoken like this echo into the Well of Wyrd, so people should use care in their word choice, be respectful, only make oaths one intends to keep, etc.
Ran-
Aegir’s wife and mother of the waves, grandmother to Heimdal, I am grateful to you for keeping space in your hall for those slain at sea. Gather them safe within your net, and make them warm and welcome. Hail Ran!
All present echo the hail. Drink deeply. At the end of the round, pour out some ale as Ran’s portion. Typically there will be from one to three rounds. This should be decided based on the size of the group and the need to speak. In this blot, all rounds should be dedicated directly to Ran.
Offering:
All attendees should bring forward their offerings at this time. Offerings can be placed into the offering bowl, or on the altar if this is not possible. If blotting along the shoreline, offerings can be cast directly into the sea, where Ran will claim them. Sample wording follows but as above, words from the heart should be considered preferable.
Ran-
I make this offering to you in friendship. Please consider this gold to be the payment for some other person caught in your net. May that person find his or her way to your hall, and may this gold allow you to welcome him or her in hospitality.
Once completed, the contents of the offering bowl, and any remaining ale, should be poured out and given to Ran. In the case of making this offering “on the land,” one thing to consider would be burying the offerings and pouring the ale over them as a symbolic drowning. Words such as these can be used during this part of the rite:
From the gods to the earth to us,
From us to the earth to the gods.
A gift for a gift.
Hail Ran!
Hail the Aesir! Hail the Vanir! Hail the gods!
Closing:
Farewell to the landvaettir:
Landvaettir, you who go all about this place,
We thank you for your presence at this rite.
We are glad of your protection, and happy to have stood with you.
Hail the landvaettir!
Farewell to the ancestors:
Ancient ones, whose gifts are beyond measure,
We thank you for attending with us today.
Your gifts of wisdom are always appreciated, and we hold you in our hearts.
Hail the ancestors!
Farewell to the god/desses:
Mighty ones, Aesir and Asyniur,
All those who dwell in Asgard and Vanaheim,
We thank you for standing with us as we honor one of your own.
Hail the Aesir! Hail the Vanir! Hail the gods!
Author’s Note: Some groups and solitary practitioners end the blot at the time the offering is poured out. This is perfectly acceptable as a variant. The closing here is added mainly for a sense of “completeness,” but it should be noted is not strictly necessary.
Book Hoard:
Larrington, Caroline, trans. The Poetic Edda. Oxford University Press, Oxford, England. 1996.
Sturluson, Snorri. Edda (Anthony Faulkes, trans.). Everyman, London, England. 1987.
Thorsson, Ornolfur, ed. The Sagas of the Icelanders. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 1997.
Information on Ran and other goddess can be found online at Germanic Goddesses. The author is grateful to be able to use this resource.
-TRK-
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